Twenty-Sixth Tasting

With our 26th tasting we move into year six of the BUMS gatherings. (Our first tasting was at Mary and Dan’s on 11/16/06). Our history, brief as it is, set me thinking of the old and the new of Scotch. So it seemed appropriate for us to taste some old and new bottlings. In this case we’ll taste all blends. Two are of the designation Blended Scotch Whisky (single malts blended with grain whisky) and one is Blended Malt Whisky (formerly known as vatted whisky, a blend of all single malts). One bottle is remarkable in another way. It is the re-creation of a single malt Scotch from 1906 recently found buried in Antarctica. Sound interesting?

Let’s start with our newest and work our way backward.

Compass Box since its inception in 2000 has shaken-up the stodgy world of Scotch bottlings with releases that have pushed the envelope such as Spice Tree, the original bottling of which was banned by the Scotch Whisky Association, and by changing the Scotch world’s perception of what can be expected from a vatting or a blend. The later description brings us to their recent release, Great King Street “Artist’s Blend” 43% ABV.

First off it is probably the only blend that does not have caramel coloring added to make it look like it is older than it really is. Most entry-level blends are only legally three years old and would barley look like weak tea if not for the robust caramel coloring that makes Dewar’s and Johnnie Walker Red look so enticingly golden.

Compass Box also seeks to change the reputation of entry-level blends by using better single malts and grain whisky than is usually used today. In addition, John Glaser, the creator of Compass Box has always insisted on using the highest quality wood to age the whiskies he includes because that is where most of the flavor is derived.

Many grain whiskies are filled into tired old barrels that have been overused and have little left to impart to the flavor of the whisky. Here they use higher quality than is typical in Scotch whisky: first-fill American oak casks, first-fill European oak ex-Sherry butts and, something no other Blended Scotch uses, new oak. In this case, they use new, heavily-toasted French oak. (French oak imparts a spicier flavor than American oak.)

Artist’s Blend is also bottled without chill-filtration, which is used in the industry to stabilize the product on the shelf and in the glass so it doesn’t get cloudy when chilled. Only problem is, chill-filtration strips out the fats and oils that contain much of the flavor.

Since the invention of the column-still, about 180 years ago, which made grain whisky plentiful and cheap, blends have been the mainstay of the whisky business. Even today, when single malts are at the peak of their popularity, over 90% of the sales of Scotch are in the form of Blended Scotch Whisky.

From the Great King St. website here is the breakdown of how Artist’s Blend is put together:

WHISKY (Spirit Character)

A Lowland Grain Whisky (fruity/perfumed) 51.4%

B Northern Highland Single Malt (malty/fruity) 23.2%

C Northern Highland Single Malt (grassy/perfumed) 17.7%

D Speyside Single Malt (meaty) 7.7%

WOOD (Flavor Impact)

1 First Fill American Oak Barrel (vanilla) 62.3%

2 New French Oak Finish {New-Headed Barrel} 27.7%

(Grilled Marshmallow, toastiness, roasted coffee)

3 First Fill Sherry Butt (wine, dried fruits) 10.0%

One thing you can see here is that there is a fairly high percentage of single malts, about 50%, which is also unusual. Most blends have about 30-40% singles to 60-70% grain whisky.

Now, we know from past bottlings what some of John’s favorite distilleries are so it might not be too far off base to guess that there is some Clynelish, Linkwood, Glen Elgin or Teaninich as one of the single malts and some Cameron Bridge for the Lowland Grain Whisky component.

What has been the reception for this new bottling?

Dominic Roskrow at Whisky Advocate, formerly Malt Advocate rates this dram a 91 with these comments: After a series of esoteric and expensive releases, Compass Box has decided to bring it all back to the people with a blend — and how! The journey sets out as we might expect; all sweet vanilla ice cream, stewed pear tart, and Peach Melba, but then a wave of spice and white pepper provides an unexpected but delightful twist. It’s like Spice Tree meets Hedonism…Spiconism if you like.

Master of Malt tasting notes:

Nose: Sweet and creamy, with lots of cereal notes, some vanilla, dried fruits, citrus and apple crumble.

Palate: A gentle, creamy whisky, which develops a great deal of richness. Notes of Christmas spices, lemon, buttery apple crumble, Bakewell tart, rose petals and raisins.

Finish: Rich and sweet, with a long finish, which tails off with notes of quince jelly, shortbread and spices.

Overall: Incredibly quaffable, an excellent whisky, and a definite crowd pleaser.

Oliver Klimek on the Dramming website has these notes:

Colour: Bright gold

Nose: Fresh hay, vanilla, breakfast cereals, lemon zest, pineapple, honey, just a whiff of smoke.

Palate: Vanilla, pineapple, lemon zest, dried banana chips, hints of almonds, ginger and a little peat but barely noticeable.

Finish: Long fruity and slightly dry.

Overall: This whisky has a fantastic nose, and also the palate delivers a very wide spectrum of well-composed flavours. A very high quality blend indeed.

Rating: 86/100

I reviewed this in October of 2011 and here are my tasting notes:

On the nose, loads of vanilla, sugar cookie dough, pineapple, lemon and the slightest bit of malty/smoky notes. On the palate, creamy vanilla, mild chocolate, butterscotch, almond paste and créme brulee. Very nicely balanced. Since this is touted as a blend for mixing, I tried it with water and ice: Still very creamy with caramel, some nuttiness and a slight spiciness. Very pleasant. BUMS rating: 85-90

$46, from Wine Merchant

Another way to categorize the drams for this tasting would be Lost and Found. With Compass Box the quality of the blends as they originated over 100 years ago has been rediscovered or found by John Glaser and put to use in making what he thinks is a superior blend to most.

Let’s move a little further back in time for the origins of our next Lost and Found bottling. In this case it is a recipe that is over 112 years old that has been put back into service to quench our thirst after being set aside in a dusty old ledger, handed down from generation to generation .

Here’s the story about this New/Old blend:

Background to The Tweeddale from Alasdair Day

“My Great Grandfather Richard Day (at left) was born on 24th December 1880 at the Lees Stables in Coldstream, where his father James Day was the Stud Groom. When he left School in 1895 he went to work as the office boy for J & A Davidson who owned the Coldstream Brewery, the Red Lion Public house and a Licensed Grocers in Duke Street. His first task every morning was to wind the office clock. J & A Davidson was established in 1820 and as with many Licensed Grocers of the time they blended Scotch Whisky, one of these was THE TWEEDDALE BLEND.

“Richard Day eventually took over the Licensed Grocers and from 1923 the name above the shop in Duke Street was “RICHARD DAY”. He continued to blend Scotch Whisky and Rum up until the start of the 2nd World War when production had to stop. THE TWEEDDALE BLEND has not been produced since.

“My Great Grandfather’s ‘Cellar Book’ as well as containing the 1881 set of accounts for J & A Davidson also contains the recipe for THE TWEEDDALE BLEND from 1899 to 1916. Richard Day died in 1965, the year I was born. His cellar book has been handed down the Day family line, first to my Grandfather and then to my Father. In January 2009 I setup Stonedean Limited to recreate THE TWEEDDALE BLEND using the recipes in the ‘Cellar Book’.”

Alasdair Day’s first bottling was a 10 year old, which was rated 89.5 by Jim Murray in the 2012 Whisky Bible, but tonight we’ll be tasting his second release, The Tweeddale Blend, 12-year old, 46% ABV. Like the Compass Box, this is a blend that is about 50% single malt and 50% grain. The second batch of the Tweeddale blend is made with 15 year old sherry butt-matured grain whisky, as well as single malts, which are aged for between 12 and 21 years old. Stonedean Limited bottles Tweeddale.

When I contacted Alasdair and told him the BUMS were going to do a tasting with his latest bottling he was kind enough to go into a bit more detail on The Tweeddale Blend.

“I am delighted to hear that your group will be including the Tweeddale 12 year old in your tasting and I look forward to hearing the feedback.

“The blend contains one grain whisky and 8 malt whiskies. I have made a point of not naming any of the distilleries.

“I can say that the grain is a lowland grain and was aged for 15 years in a sherry butt.

“The malts cover all the regions of Scotland. The youngest is a Highland malt aged for 12 years in a 1st fill bourbon cask and adds an oiliness to the mouth feel of the blend. The oldest malt is a 21 year old Speyside. There is also 1 Islay malt but it only comprises 2% of the blend, some people do pick up a whiff of smoke and it is there to dry out / balance the sweeter sherry notes. The remainder of the malts are around th

e 14 year old mark.”

I asked if he might comment on how the single malts originally in his recipe might have had to change given that many distilleries have come and gone since it was originally blended in the early 1900’s.

“You are correct that I will not be able to create all of the blends in my Great Grandfathers book as a fair number of the distilleries that he used from 1899 to 1916 no longer exist or are silent. A great shame but I was able to purchase all of the casks I required for The Tweeddale.

“There is also no doubt that the quality of the malt whiskies has improved massively in the 70 years since the Tweeddale was last produced. 100 years ago the malts would have been much harsher and heavier as all were blended, the trend for single malts only took off in the 1960s after all.”

Tweeddale is not chill filtered but is colored, which Alasdair says is true to the original recipe, although in the age of its original production they would have used sherry or rum as a colorant instead of today’s spirit caramel (E150) coloring, not permissible under today’s Scotch Whisky Association (SWA) rules.

Mark Thomson on his Dramatic Whisky blog had this to say about The Tweeddale 12:

“I sampled this uncut, as I think the work has already been done to broaden the profile…so here are my notes:

Appearance- Of pale straw with hints of yellow gold.

Nose- Immediately rounded and sweet with wafts of butterscotch and brittle toffee. There is a good malt backbone with a trail of light oil, which develops into caramelized apples. Some tropical fruits emerge but only briefly such as Brazil nut and coconut (turning pine sap) but it’s that generous honey sweet nose that captures the attention.

Palate- As expected from the nose, this creamy rounded honey and malt flavour rolls over the tongue and settles to a rich spiced fruit note mid palate. Spicy, yes but with complexity that is lovely. Nutmeg, those Brazil nuts again and a sprinkling of butterscotch pieces.

Finish- well, it just keeps going…. and to the very end develops, remaining fruity at first but then becoming more like good quality milk chocolate and a dash of caramel.

I love this whisky. I did from the very first sip and even now, on batch 2 and in far more professional surroundings (really? have you SEEN my office!) I can still be captivated by the simple, yet structured elegance of this dram.

Gavin Smith of whisky-pages website had these notes:

“Robust on the nose, with malt, brittle toffee and vanilla, becoming more floral. Fresh and zesty, lemon and lime, with the addition of water.Nicely mouth-coating, lots of confident malt character, but nicely balanced grains, too. Smooth and approachable, with peaches, ripe pears, caramel and ginger. Drying subtly in a long, satisfying, slightly spicy finish. An unapologetically old-fashioned blended Scotch – and all the better for it!”

Other media on Tweeddale Blend:

http://www.thewhiskywire.com/2011/10/whisky-insiders-interview-alasdair-day.html

http://glasgowswhisky.com/?p=413

http://misswhisky.com/reviews/tweeddale-blend-batch-2/

http://whiskyforeveryone.blogspot.com/2010/12/have-just-tried-tweeddale-blend.html

http://www.westlothian.com/Home/media_centre/newsarchive/2219869

Video from Pierre Thiebaut of the website, Connosr on Tweeddale and Compass Box Great King Street:

http://www.whiskymarketplace.com/podcasts/001/

$78 with shipping, from Master of Malt. Not available locally.

Finally, the most lost-est whisky of the group, the original of which was buried near the South Pole.

Abandoned in 1909 beneath the floorboards of a cabin that was used for survival in the Antarctic and rediscovered just over 100 years later.

First a bit of history on the adventurers of a bygone era and the whisky that helped inspire their drive to explore.

The Nimrod Expedition to Antarctica in 1907-09 was Sir Ernest Henry Shackleton’s second attempt to establish a “Farthest South” record during a period when hearty explorers were trying to outdo one another in their quests to go further in attempts to reach the South Pole. His exploration party got to within 97 miles of the South Pole, their ultimate goal and set the record for the Furthest South achieved in this time period. King Edward VII knighted Shackleton for this achievement, upon Shackleton’s return to England. (I’m not sure what the origin of the name Nimrod has to do with the voyage, but some rabbinic commentators have connected the name Nimrod with a Hebrew word meaning 'rebel'. Nimrod was the great-grandson of Noah and is associated with the building of the Tower of Babel.) In a later expedition the Shacketon ship, the Endurance, was eventually crushed by pack ice and the crew had to row lifeboats to reach safety.

During this expedition one of the provisions of the journey were 25 crates of Mackinlay’s Rare Old Highland Malt Whisky. (The expedition also reportedly brought “dried spinach, mint, stewed kidneys, oxtail soup, India relish, mutton cutlets in tomato sauce, Irish brawn, marrow fat, stewed rump steaks, tripe, concentrated egg powder, kippered mackerel, minced collops, and red currants ... there's also the Antarctic classic, pemmican: dried meat mixed with fat, available in varieties for men and dogs.”)

Upon the expedition party’s return (dead-tired and nearing starvation), they abandoned provisions including several crates, which were buried beneath the floor of their crude cabin. In 2010 this whisky was discovered and recovered by the New Zealand Antarctic Trust and a few rare bottles returned to England under the personal care of Dalmore/Jura/Whyte & Mackay Master Blender, Richard Paterson. (Mackinlay is now a brand owned by Whyte & Mackay.)

That’s where this story of whisky alchemy really begins. It was Paterson’s desire to recreate this 100 plus year old whisky even though the Glen Mohr distillery where it had originally been produced had been demolished in 1988. Paterson, also known as “The Nose,” used his estimable abilities to sniff out the various notes of flavors and scents contained in this priceless liquid but also relied on sophisticated chemical analysis to suss out the subtleties that made this unique dram so tricky to reproduce. Care not to contaminate the original whisky went to the extent of drawing samples through a syringe plunged thru the cork stopper in a controlled laboratory setting.

In summarizing the Sensory and Chemical Analysis of “Shackleton’s” Mackinlay Scotch Whisky, the scientific paper’s writers state, “While Scotch malt whisky at the end of the 19th century was generally regarded as heavily peated and harsh in character, Charles Mackinlay & Co. Distillers were producing a malt whisky with an altogether more subtle character at their Glen Mhor distillery near Inverness in the far North of Scotland. The sensory and chemical analysis of this unique whisky artifact significantly changes our understanding of the quality and character of Scotch malt whisky produced by our distilling forefathers.”

Even though the original was determined to be a single malt Scotch whisky, in order to produce a replica in scent and flavor, about two-dozen single malts were vatted to produce what we now call a Blended Malt Whisky. Some rare 1983 Glen Mohr and some Dalmore were used in the recreation, but other details have been withheld. According to Whisky writer Dave Broom the new spirit tastes exactly like the original. He is one of the few, besides Paterson who have tasted both drams.

Master of Malt tasting notes:

Nose: Sweet and creamy, with lots of cereal notes, some vanilla, dried fruits, citrus and apple crumble.

Palate: A gentle, creamy whisky, which develops a great deal of richness. Notes of Christmas spices, lemon, buttery apple crumble, Bakewell tart, rose petals and raisins.

Finish: Rich and sweet, with a long finish, which tails off with notes of quince jelly, shortbread and spices.

Overall: Incredibly quaffable, an excellent whisky, and a definite crowd pleaser.

Oliver Klimek on the Dramming website has these notes:

Colour: Bright gold

Nose: Fresh hay, vanilla, breakfast cereals, lemon zest, pineapple, honey, just a whiff of smoke.

Palate: Vanilla, pineapple, lemon zest, dried banana chips, hints of almonds, ginger and a little peat but barely noticeable.

Finish: Long fruity and slightly dry.

Overall: This whisky has a fantastic nose, and also the palate delivers a very wide spectrum of well-composed flavours. A very high quality blend indeed.

Rating: 86/100 The reproduction is Mackinlay’s Rare Old Highland Malt Whisky, 47.3% ABV.

Five percent of the proceeds from the sale of these bottles, about $160/bottle in the UK, will be donated to the New Zealand Antarctic Trust.

Available in the US at Shoppers Vineyard, Bayway World of Liquor, Binny’s and elsewhere. Expect to pay $150-200 per bottle.

Dominic Roskrow of the Whisky Advocate, (formerly Malt Advocate) rated this whisky a 92, with these notes: Rarely has a blend caused as much excitement as this one, but with good reason. This is also known as the Shackleton whisky, and is a recreation of the whisky abandoned in the Antarctic by explorer Ernest Shackleton more than 100 years ago. It has lemon, spring blossom, and wafts of smoke on the nose. The taste is full and citrusy, with peat and pepper in attendance. Beautifully balanced and outstanding, but there are just 50,000 bottles, so snap it up.”

Andy of the L.A. Whisk(E)y Society rated this dram a B, with these notes,

“Nose: wood finish. Walnut shells. Very faint citrus palate: mouth feel is medium to thick motor oil. Taste is old leather, weak charcoal or ash, whole wheat bread. Hint of bubblegum. I like this in that there's a whole lot of subtle stuff going on. The ABV is just right and and the flavor, although not overwhelming is kind of pleasant and homey. I can sort of imagine sitting in a hoity-toity turn of the century British men's club drinking this with monocles in my pocket and talking down the upper middle class with my rich buddies. Peasants.”

Notes from Master of Malt: Colour - Light honey, straw gold with shimmering highlights.

Nose - Soft, elegant & refined. Delicate aromas of crushed apple, pear and fresh pineapple arouse the senses. The spirit is exciting and vibrant with attractive notes of oak shavings that release hints of buttery vanilla, creamy caramel and nutmeg. A whisper of marmalade, cinnamon and even a tease of smoke, ginger and muscovado sugar completes this spectrum of delight.

Taste - With a generous strength of 47.3% this gives the spirit plenty of impact on the palate but in a mild warming manner. Harmonious and exhilarating. Whispers of gentle bonfire smoke slowly give way to spicy rich toffee, treacle and pecan nuts. These enticing flavours linger lovingly on the palate but are soon combined by a sensual, complex array of crŹme brulee, orange rind and freshly baked bread. It is a remarkable tapestry of tantalizing taste sensations, which truly rewards the palate.

I tasted this in October 2011. here are my tasting notes:

Light gold color. Very fresh on the nose, slight grassiness, egg custard, malt, caramel, slight banana, toasted sesame, granny smith apple, cinnamon, sharp cheddar, orange zest and butter. On the palate, creamy texture, caramel, dark chocolate, malt, dark berries, tart apple, walnut, pineapple, coconut and vanilla. A long drying tart finish. BUMS rating 90-95. Overall very alive and enjoyable.

$168, with shipping, from Binny’s. Not available locally.

Twenty-Sixth Tasting: Great King St. “Artist’s Blend,” The Tweeddale Blend 12, Mackinlay’s Rare Old Highland Malt Whisky (reproduction)

Sunday, January 8, 2012

Dalmore master blender, Richard Paterson

Alasdair Day, owner, Stonedean Limited, bottler of Tweeddale

Comments?

E-mail Mark@scotch-tasting-bums.com or

go to the BUMS group page on Facebook or

drop a line on TUMBLR

Shackleton Cabin in Antarctica

February 1, 2012 Tasting Notes and Meeting Wrap-Up

Our 26th tasting, celebrating the beginning of our 6th year was held at Nancy and Luke’s condo. Thanks to Nancy for filling in for Dan as host while Dan is recuperating from his heart surgery. Hope he is well enough soon to taste the samples that were poured off for him and Mary.

We tasted in this order: Great King Street “Artist’s Blend” 43% ABV, The Tweeddale Blend, 12-year old, 46% ABV and Mackinlay’s Rare Old Highland Malt Whisky, 47.3% ABV.

The surprise fave of the BUMS was the Tweeddale Blend. The Artist’s Blend was well received and has an especially great nose with lots or rich vanilla and in fact seemed to share that in common with the Tweeddale nose. The Mackinlay’s was more complex than the others but it was hard to separate the story of Shackleton and the lengths Whyte & Mackay went to in creating the replica whisky when thinking about rating. It would probably win on points in a blind test but the Tweeddale was so much more drinkable. A fine Scotch to relax with. Many also commented on the Tweeddale and Artist’s Blends saying that if someone had not told them they were Blended Scotch, they would have thought them to be single malts. I think that is because the grain whisky is so good and so mature in each.

Artist’s Blend: On the nose, loads of vanilla, sugar cookie dough, pineapple, lemon and the slightest bit of malty/smoky notes. On the palate, creamy vanilla, mild chocolate, butterscotch, almond paste and créme brulee. Very nicely balanced. Since this is touted as a blend for mixing, I tried it with water and ice: Still very creamy with caramel, some nuttiness and a slight spiciness. Very pleasant. BUMS rating: 85-90

Tweeddale Blend: On the nose, Pears, Apples, Vanilla, Pecans, hint of Smoke & Sherry, Butter and Brown Sugar Syrup. On the palate: Caramel, Raisin, Dark Chocolate, Orange Zest, Poached Apples and Cinnamon. Finish: Spicy Caramel, lingering. Nice fireside whisky, pleasant oiliness. BUMS rating: 85-90

Mackinlay’s: Light gold color. Very fresh on the nose, slight grassiness, egg custard, malt, caramel, slight banana, toasted sesame, granny smith apple, cinnamon, sharp cheddar, orange zest and butter. On the palate, creamy texture, caramel, dark chocolate, malt, dark berries, tart apple, walnut, pineapple, coconut and vanilla. A long drying tart finish. BUMS rating 90-95. Overall very alive and enjoyable.

Till the next dramfest....

Slainte!

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